How The Mighty Fall
by SonicGirl4Ever
Summary: "It is okay, Rocket. Calm down." His response was a moan and even more shivers. It killed Gamora inside to watch her comrade and friend suffer, but she knew there was not much she could do. Set in Guardians of the Galaxy.
1. Chapter 1

Gamora bit her lip in frustration and a slight tinge of worry. It wasn't very often that she worried over trivial things, no matter what they were. But this situation was not trivial, nor something to be taken lightly.

Shivering uncontrollably and breathing heavily on the bed in front of her lay Rocket, who was battling a terrible sickness that had reached its worst within the short time span of only 36 hours.  
>Star-Lord had gone out to find some sort of cure or remedy to ease his friend's pain and hopefully rid Rocket of his illness. Gamora had volunteered to stay behind to watch over him, and had been occupying herself with putting a damp washcloth onto Rocket's head in an attempt to keep him cool.<br>Her efforts were somewhat in vain, however; with Rocket fidgeting and shivering relentlessly, it was hard to keep him still enough to do anything.

"It is okay, Rocket. Calm down."

His response was a moan and even more shivers. It killed her inside to watch her comrade and friend suffer, but she knew there was not much she could do.  
>She watched him grip the sheets tightly and kick furiously, obviously feeling a great deal of discomfort in his weakened state.<br>Gamora sighed and resorted to gently patting Rocket's head.

"Peter… where ever you are, you'd better get moving…"


	2. Chapter 2

Peter clicked his tongue in annoyance. How was HE supposed to know what Rocket needed? He wasn't a doctor and had no idea what was wrong with his friend, yet here he was at some convienience store trying to find the right medicine to stop the violent shivers Rocket was displaying before he had left.  
>He decided to ask the supposed pharmacist for some help, and maybe even a diagnosis… if pharmacists even did that sort of thing.<p>

"Can I help you?"

He set his elbows on the counter, and hesitantly thought of how to explain.

"Yeah, uh, hi. Do you have any medicine for — Ah, shit — See, I have this friend, and he's a raccoon… well, sort of a raccoon, but a cybernetically altered raccoon who — Fuck…"

The pharmacist looked deeply puzzled and wasn't sure of what to say.

"Erm… I don't think we carry medicine for raccoon's… but if you tell me what his symptoms are, I might be able to recommend something."

Peter sighed in relief and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. He's shivering like crazy, has a really high fever, and… I left a few hours ago. He might be worse."

The pharmacist was about to respond when Peter cut her off.

"Lemme call real quick. Hold on."

He took out his phone and quickly called his ship. Gamora answered and sounded genuinely worried.

"Peter. Where the fuck are you? Rock—"

"Yeah, I know. I'm getting the stuff. How's Rocket? What are his symptoms?"

He heard Gamora laugh sarcastically and then sigh.  
>"Terrible. He is still shaking, his fever has gone up drastically… he can't even breathe correctly. He is just —"<p>

Peter sighed. No new symptoms, but his current ones were worse than before.  
>This was getting really bad, really fast.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

After peter explained the symptoms to the pharmacist, she shook her head and rummaged through some cabinets. When she returned, she set three bottles of medicine on the counter.

"Your friend needs a doctor. This is what I have for you. There's no telling if it will actually help or not... But a doctor would do very well."

Peter paid her for the medicine, and then crossed his arms.

"And what if he was the only one of his kind?"

She gave him another puzzled look, and her gaze strayed from Peter's eyes.

"Well... I'm not sure."

Peter gave her a half-hearted smirk and then left the store.

When he returned, he was greeted by a very peeved Gamora. Drax was also in the room, although his current position didn't look like much fun. He was holding Rocket down, who was squirming and for some reason desperately trying to escape and murder anything that moved.

Gamora had scratches on her arms and she almost slapped Peter square across the face.

"You have medication?"

Peter took out a few pills and gave them to Gamora.

"He's gotta eat these. Hopefully it'll help."

Gamora yelled in anger.

"Hopefully?!"

Peter threw his hands up in the air.

"What was I supposed to do?! Get a doctor to look at somebody and not have any clue what to do because he was the only one of his kind that existed?!"

Gamora sighed. Peter had a point.

"Fine... so how do you plan to get Rocket to eat the pills without having your fingers bitten off?"

Peter looked over at his ill friend, and shrugged.

"I've got an idea. But it isn't pretty."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah. Just keep him still."

Peter wasn't sure how to use a needle, but he knew that the arm was typically the spot where things were injected.  
>Drax was doing his best to keep Rocket still without hurting him, but his patience was running thin. Peter breathed in, and then stuck the needle into Rocket's arm, pushing its contents into his bloodstream. Rocket thrashed this way and that, but after a few seconds, he stopped thrashing and could only fidget.<br>Gamora took her place next to Peter and gently placed the pills into Rocket's mouth, who swallowed on instinct.  
>Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone except Drax.<p>

"… Rabies."

Gamora and Peter stared at him quizzically.

"What?"

Drax pointed at Rocket.

"The furry one has a strain of Rabies, only much worse, harder to kill, and has torturous symptoms."

Peter laughed.

"How do you know?"

Drax shook his head.

"I don't. But the way he was thrashing made it look like Rabies."

Peter hesitantly put a hand on Rocket's head to pet him in an attempt to give comfort, but recoiled it in shock.

"Shit, he's burning up."

Gamora groaned. Was the medication working?  
>Peter stood up.<p>

"I need a drink."

He left the room and passed by Groot, who was walking in.

"I am — Groot?!"

Gamora sighed understandingly and patted Rocket's head again.

"Yes… he's not feeling good, Groot."

"I am Groot."

Gamora chuckled sadly.

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5

It was a few hours later when Rocket began to stir. Gamora had remained by his side with Groot, and when the tree-like humanoid noticed his friend waking up, he immediatley jerked up.

"I am Groot."

Rocket shifted uncomfortably and groaned.

"Rocket, how are you feeling?"

He opened his eyes to see the blurry image of Gamora.

"Like shit. Why's everything so damn blurry?"

Gamora grabbed a waterbottle and held it out to Rocket.

"You are ill. Have some water."

He shook his head and pushed it away; if he drank or ate anything, he was sure he would end up throwing up all over the place.  
>Peter stepped into the room and noticed that Rocket was awake.<p>

"The medicine worked?"

Gamora nodded and stood up.  
>Peter turned to watch her leave.<p>

"Where are you going?"

She didn't even turn back when she answered his question.

"I'm leaving to find someone who can tell us what he has caught."

Peter walked over to her in confusion.

"Wait a minute, I thought he had some weird form of rabies."

She fully turned around to look him in the face.

"Then explain to me why he's not foaming at the mouth, or why I'm not rabid even after getting bitten twice."

Peter could only stand there dumbfounded as Gamora left.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a normal day in the office - until Gamora came crashing in unexpectedly. Different alien species in the building scattered in fear, and the head doctor of the building, who was a heavy, tentacled being, stared at her in slight fear. He knew she wouldn't hurt him, since she obviously came here for a cure or diagnosis.

"... What do you want?"

Gamora dropped her weapon and stalked up to the doctor.

"I'd like a diagnosis and a proper cure."

The doctor sighed and took out a notepad. There was never any way around this, since if he refused, he would be killed.

"What ails you?"

"Relentless shivering, extremely high fever, aggressiveness... symptoms similar to rabies, but much worse, and not contagious."

The doctor stared at her puzzled.

"You... are not displaying any of those symptoms."

She shrugged.

"Yes, I'm talking about a raccoon."

The doctor put his pen down and seemed to know exactly what was wrong.

"Leptospirosis. Similar to rabies, but with flu-like symptoms."

Gamora tapped her fingers on the desk.

"What is the treatment?"

The doctor pointed over to a cabinet.

"There are some antibiotics in that cabinet."

She immediately went over, grabbed what she needed, and left.

When Gamora finally returned to the ship, she heard a small ruckus occurring in the room where she had left Rocket.

"Shit! ... I need another bowl of water..."

"I am Groot."

"He heating up really bad..."

Gamora stepped in and took out the antibiotics. She glanced at Rocket, who was once again just like when she had first started taking care of him. The only difference was that he was much less aggressive.

"Here. This is what he needs. And it's not rabies; it is a disease that is similar, but not contagious."

Peter grabbed the antibiotics and poured it into Rocket's mouth, lacking the patience to put up with anything anymore.

Rocket didn't even notice as the medicine went down his throat...


	7. Chapter 7

It was early morning when Rocket opened his eyes again, and for the first time since he had become sick he realized just how sore he was. Moving was nearly impossible; his body ached, as if someone had punched him repeatedly for hours.  
>He tried to remember the past few hours, but it was all of blur. He could only remember distant voices, seeing a bright light every now and then, and the feeling of intense heat and cold at the same time.<br>He heard someone move from the opposite side of the room, and flinched when he felt someone lay a hand on his forehead. It was a gentle touch, but it was unexpected. He painfully looked over to see Gamora; for the most part, she looked calm and collected, but even in the darkness of the room, her concern was evident on her face.

"Rocket. How are you feeling?"

He tried to sit up, feeling that he looked weak if he was lying down. Gamora saw him cringe, and she gently pushed him back down onto the bed.

"You need to relax. You are not well."

Rocket let her push him back down, but he gripped the blanket that covered him tightly, the pain increasing slightly.  
>Gamora rubbed his head in an attempt to help him relax, but his response was a jerk of his head in the opposite direction, and then a moan of pain.<br>Gamora recoiled her hand, deciding that petting Rocket was a very bad idea, even when he was immobile.

"What… what time is it?"

Gamora tried to hide a yawn when she replied.

"2 a.m."

Rocket wanted to protest; he wanted to tell her to go to bed, and get some rest, but Gamora was quicker in her response.

"The others have gone to sleep. I will remain here until you are well enough to sit up. I will sleep when I can no longer remain awake."

Rocket was about to respond again, but deep inside, he knew he couldn't. He was, in all honesty, touched by her choice of actions. No one had ever really cared about his well-being this deeply except for Gamora, and for that, he was grateful, even if he would never openly admit or show it.

"Sleep. It is okay."

Rocket closed his eyes and painfully turned his head away from her so that she wouldn't see him smile.


End file.
